The Lady Washington

Launched on March 7, 1989, the Lady Washington was built in Aberdeen, Wash., by Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public development authority. The new Lady Washington is a full-scale replica of the original Lady Washington.

In 1787, after the Revolutionary War, she was given a major refit to prepare her for a unprecedented trading voyage around Cape Horn. In 1788, she became the first American vessel to make landfall on the west coast of North America.

A pioneer in Pan-Pacific trade, she was the first American ship to visit Honolulu, Hong Kong and Japan. Lady Washington opened the black pearl and sandalwood trade between Hawaii and Asia when King Kamehameha became a partner in the ship.

The modern Lady Washington, constructed as a brig, was thoroughly researched by historians and constructed by skilled shipwrights. She was launched as part of the 1989 Washington State Centennial celebration. The new Lady Washington is a U.S. Coast Guard inspected and certified passenger sailing vessel.

Over the years, Lady Washington has appeared in several motion pictures and television shows, including Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Star Trek: Generations, Once Upon A Time, and Revolution.

1998: First sailing partnership with Hawaiian Chieftain, which was later purchased by GHHSA

2003 – Sails to Caribbean for filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

2005: Lady Washington participates in cultural healing ceremony on Clayoquot Sound in Vancouver
Island with the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and the descendents of Robert Gray, master of the original
Lady Washington. (Gray had destroyed a native village in 1792.)

Fun Facts & Trivia

The figurehead of Lady Washington was carved by Bob McCausland, a former cartoonist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer who retired in Westport, Wash.

A number of coins are hidden on the Lady Washington. Traditionally, each time a mast is “stepped” or fitted onto the keel, a coin is placed at the base of the mast. In 1989, when the Lady Washington received her first mast, a silver coin was placed at the base. Later, during routine maintenance and mast replacements, more coins were placed. An estimated $1.75 in change is at the base of the current mast.

Laid end to end, Lady Washington’s 156 lines of running rigging would extend three miles.

The Lady Washington’s ceiling is under crew and passenger’s feet. On a wooden ship, the “ceiling” planks are horizontal planks of wood covering the inner part of the ship’s ribs from the keel upward along the hull.

The original Lady Washington started out as a single-masted sloop when it was constructed in the 1750s. It was refitted as a two-masted brig before her voyage to the Pacific Northwest in 1787.

In 1791, the original Lady Washington was the first American-flagged vessel to visit Japan and attempt to open trade, 62 years before Commodore Mathew Perry entered Tokyo Bay in 1853 with his US Navy squadron. The original Lady Washington was also the first American-flagged vessel to visit Honolulu and Hong Kong.

Recent News

On August 24th, 2017, Grays Harbor Historical Seaport was selected for a 3-year, $512,000 grant to implement Sea School. Sea School is a new kind of seamanship training program, designed to provide a solid foundation of job skills and support for those seeking to...

One week left, a race to the finish! Phase 1 of Project Overhaul has been going strong for four weeks now, with just one week left until Chieftain splashes back in the water. In addition to the regular needs of bottom paint, replacing zincs, and rigging work, this...

The Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Board will meet the evening of Tuesday, September 26th from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Meeting location is the board room at Seaport Landing, 500 N. Custer St., Aberdeen, WA 98520. The agenda is included below. [pdf-embedder...